Lake Elsinore, Murrieta communities gather to hold vigils for slain Riverside County sheriff's deputy
The Lake Elsinore community came together on Tuesday to pay their respects to Deputy Darnell Calhoun, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department deputy who was fatally shot on Friday.
Calhoun was gunned down by a suspect while responding to a domestic disturbance call regarding child custody in the 18500 block of Hilldale Lane on Jan. 13. Upon arrival, he was shot by 42-year-old Lake Elsinore resident Jesse Navarro. A second deputy arriving at the scene found Calhoun shot in the street.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he underwent emergency surgery before he was pronounced dead. Calhoun, 30, leaves behind a pregnant wife and two children.
Hundreds of people gathered to remember Calhoun on Tuesday, at the Lake Elsinore Deputy Station.
Friends, family and community members who never met the deputy gathered at the emotional vigil, showing solidarity with their local law enforcement, standing side-by-side with the deputies that Calhoun served with in the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.
"He's an amazing person," said Natasha Galindo, a longtime friend of Calhoun's. "He was more than a friend, he was a brother. Our life's not going to be the same."
Calhoun grew up in Murrieta, joining San Diego Police Department before transferring to RSO in February of last year.
"I asked him why he chose us," said Sheriff Chad Bianco. "He said, 'For my family.' The commute was taking him away from home for too long."
Calhoun is fondly remembered by many in the community, recalling the skinny kid who was raised in a small Christian homeschooling group before he joined law enforcement.
"The best, prime example of what a great man is, and the type of man that this world needs to have more of," said childhood friend Ty Amaral. "I just hope and pray that his kids will know how good of a man their father was."
For his law enforcement partners, he's remembered for his dedication to the greater good and putting service before self.
"It takes a special kind of person to be able to come to work everyday, knowing that you could sacrifice your life for someone else and leave your family behind," Bianco said. "Darnell was that kind of man."
Again on Wednesday, community members in Murrieta gathered for a separate vigil at the Town Square Amphitheater.
Hundreds of people gathered to offer support for the mourning Calhoun family in the town where Darnell was raised, marching down the street by candlelight and the flickering light bars of law enforcement vehicles before converging at Calhoun Family Texas Barbeque, the restaurant owned and operated by the Calhouns.
"Let's make sure that he doesn't die in vain and that we never forget him," said Sheriff Bianco, again speaking at Wednesday's vigil. "His heart and his soul was dedicated to helping others — to doing the right thing."
